Review Summary:

The 2014 Chevrolet Sonic is a decent car, but it just feels over-priced when placed besides its better equipped Korean rivals.

Pros

Ample head and leg room

Cons

Awkwardly positioned cubby holes

Looks

Introduced as the second generation Aveo, the 2014 Chevrolet Sonic takes design inspiration from a motorcycle. The car flaunts circular headlamps, a large octagonal grille, and chrome outlined tail lamps. The aggressive front end is about all that is common between the Sedan and Hatchback variants, however, it’s worth noting that neither come off as particularly striking.

Feels

We’ve all heard that looks can be deceiving. Once you plop yourself into the Sonic, you’ll understand why. There’s ample of head and leg room for both, front and rear seat passengers. There’s a fair degree of refinement in the cabin too. The two-tone plastic dash with silver trim is adorned with an instrument cluster that looks like it has been pulled right off a motorbike, and though it looks alright, those gaping holes beside the central A/C vents are flat out unacceptable.

Engineering

Gone are the days when sports cars were the only privileged ones to be fitted with paddle shifters and manual shift capability on an automatic transmission. Today, every manufacturer from the Koreans to the Germans are fitting manual shifter options on cars that are far off the sporty map, and Chevy is in on the action too. The 2014 Chevrolet Sonic features a ‘+,-‘ button that allows for a slightly more exciting drive, and gives the driver the opportunity to control the gear changes to a certain extent.

What’s on offer?

Under the hood, the 2014 Chevrolet Sonic houses a 1.6 litre 4 cylinder unit that produces 116 horsepower and is mated to a 5 speed manual or 6 speed automatic transmission. In exchange for 6.6 litres of fuel, the Sonic will happily cover 100 kilometres on the ground.

Summing it…

The 2014 Chevrolet Sonic definitely looks mean. So mean, in fact, that it’s a shame the engine isn’t as powerful as the exterior suggests. With a price tag upwards of AED 59,500 the price just doesn’t seem fully justified when placed beside its Korean rival, the Kia Rio.

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